2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Colorado

The U.S. median annual wage for the Bureau of Labor Statistics category substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors was $59,350 in May 2025 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook). This is a national occupational median - not a Colorado starting salary, a master's-only figure, or a prediction of what a particular graduate will earn. Pay can differ by employer, setting, experience, and whether a counselor has obtained independent licensure.

For a personal return-on-investment estimate, compare likely pay in the roles you actually want with your current earnings. Then account for tuition and fees, aid, debt, time away from paid work, the chance of completing the program, and the time needed to reach independent licensure. A lower-priced degree is not automatically the better investment if its schedule makes completion or clinical placement impractical.

These Colorado options warrant different follow-up questions. The most useful distinction is not a promotional claim but whether each program's structure, setting, and curriculum match where and how you intend to train.

• Adams State University: Its degree is specifically identified as a master's in clinical mental health counseling within counselor education (Adams State University). For applicants considering a university based in the San Luis Valley, the decisive question is whether current course delivery and approved clinical sites make the degree workable from their home community.
• Colorado Christian University: Its mental health counseling option is housed at an institution with an explicit Christian educational identity (Colorado Christian University). Students who want that context should ask how it appears in coursework and supervision, while also checking that training prepares them to serve clients across beliefs and backgrounds.
• Regis University: Regis presents counseling as a Master of Arts in Counseling through its School of Mental and Behavioral Health (Regis University academic catalog). Because the degree title is broader than "clinical mental health counseling," prospective LPC applicants should obtain the current course plan and ask the program to document its alignment with Colorado's educational requirements.
• University of Northern Colorado: UNC identifies its offering specifically as a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (University of Northern Colorado). Applicants comparing it with broader counseling degrees can use that defined focus as a starting point, then verify current campus or delivery options, placement support, and total program cost.

Before deciding, request each school's current catalog, total credit requirement, placement policy, programmatic accreditation status, and recent program-level outcomes. Those documents are more useful for an individual choice than assuming similarly named degrees offer identical training.

Plan on roughly two to three years of full-time study for a clinical counseling master's; part-time study can take longer. The schedule depends on course sequencing, available placements, and whether you can complete clinical work alongside a job. CACREP's 2024 standards require a supervised practicum and internship as part of accredited entry-level training, so an accelerated classroom schedule does not eliminate the fieldwork commitment (CACREP).

Ask for a term-by-term plan showing when fieldwork begins and which courses must precede it. Also distinguish time to degree from time to independent practice: Colorado's post-degree licensure process adds supervised experience and other requirements (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies). A program that finishes coursework sooner may not shorten that later stage.

Online and campus programs can teach the same core counseling subjects, but neither makes clinical training optional. Even with online classes, students need suitable supervised field experiences; they should confirm where those experiences may occur and how the school approves and supports sites (CACREP; individual program policies).

An online format may suit a working adult or someone living far from a campus if scheduled class meetings and local placements are feasible. Campus study may be preferable if access to in-person instruction and nearby placement networks matters more than commuting flexibility. The common mistake is to compare only class delivery. Ask whether skills sessions require travel, whether internships can be completed near home, and whether the curriculum meets Colorado requirements - or those of another state where you intend to seek licensure.

There is no single reliable Colorado-wide price for this specific degree: schools charge differently by residency, institution, course load, and delivery format, while commonly reported tuition figures may cover an entire institution rather than its counseling master's (National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS). A published per-credit rate is therefore not a full-program quote.

The comparison below separates charges that can otherwise make a seemingly inexpensive offer costly. Request an itemized estimate for your residency and expected enrollment pattern.

Use the most affordable clinical mental health counseling programs as a starting point, then confirm what each school includes in its published price.

Eligible graduate students can explore federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans by submitting the FAFSA, along with institutional scholarships, assistantships, employer tuition benefits, and any state or workforce funding for which they qualify (Federal Student Aid; individual institutions). Ask a school whether an award applies to part-time enrollment and continues during internship terms.

Do not assume Graduate PLUS is available to every new graduate student. Federal rule changes beginning July 2026 restrict new graduate borrowing under that program; limited continuing eligibility may apply to students who meet the federal transition conditions, including prior enrollment and borrowing for the same program (Federal Student Aid). Confirm your own eligibility with the school's financial aid office before building a budget around Graduate PLUS. Also compare net cost after grants and employer support, rather than treating a larger loan offer as a discount.

Applicants generally need a bachelor's degree and must satisfy the program's stated application requirements, which may include transcripts, recommendations, a statement of purpose, and an interview. Undergraduate major prerequisites, minimum grades, and testing policies vary; check the current admissions page for each school rather than assuming a psychology major is mandatory (individual institution admissions offices).

If you have prior graduate coursework, get a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling. A school may accept credits toward graduation without those courses satisfying a particular clinical or licensure-related requirement. Applicants planning to practice outside Colorado should also ask that state's licensing board about its educational rules before choosing a program.

Clinical mental health counseling curricula commonly cover counseling theories and techniques, assessment and diagnosis, ethics, research, multicultural counseling, group work, career development, and crisis or trauma-related care. Students then apply those skills in supervised practicum and internship experiences (CACREP, 2024 Standards). The course titles alone do not show how much practice or feedback a student receives.

Compare syllabi and clinical handbooks for training in case documentation, treatment planning, telehealth, and working with clients with co-occurring concerns. Ask who supervises student work and how sites are approved. Those details matter more to clinical readiness than an unusually long elective list.

Depending on the school, electives or placements may let students focus on substance-use counseling, trauma, child and adolescent services, or work with particular communities. An emphasis is not necessarily a separate degree, professional certification, or license; verify exactly what appears on the transcript and what additional credentialing a role may require (individual programs; Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies).

Choose a focus based on accessible supervisors and placement sites as well as course names. If your primary goal is school counseling or marriage and family therapy, compare the corresponding credential pathway first rather than assuming a clinical mental health concentration substitutes for it.

First decide where you expect to seek licensure. Then compare programs against that jurisdiction's current educational rules, their documented accreditation status, and the practical demands of completing supervised training. CACREP programmatic accreditation and an institution's accreditation or federal-aid eligibility are different checks; verify each separately (CACREP; U.S. Department of Education; Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies).

Use this sequence to turn a shortlist into a decision:

1. Request each program's current degree plan and ask how it addresses Colorado LPC educational requirements.
2. Ask for recent program-level completion and licensure-exam outcomes, including the reporting period and number of students represented.
3. Confirm placement responsibilities, permitted sites, travel expectations, and support if a site falls through.
4. Compare full-program net cost, likely borrowing, schedule, and earnings you would forgo while studying.

A ranking can help identify candidates, but it should not replace those checks. Compare the best clinical mental health counseling programs against your licensure plan, then use the most valuable clinical mental health counseling programs in a separate section of your research - not as a shortcut to an individual return-on-investment calculation.

A graduate may pursue supervised clinical roles and, after meeting Colorado's applicable requirements, seek LPC licensure and roles with greater practice independence (Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies). Related opportunities include counseling in community agencies, outpatient behavioral health, and substance-use treatment. Employers may set additional experience or credential requirements.

The clearest career distinction is between finishing the degree and qualifying for independent clinical practice. If your goal is private practice, ask programs how graduates typically arrange post-degree supervision; if your goal is agency work, examine placement relationships and the types of clients students serve. Neither path should be judged by a national median wage alone.

National employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow 18% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections). That indicates demand across the occupation, but it is not a Colorado-specific hiring forecast or a guarantee of an opening after graduation.

For a Colorado job search, examine current postings in the communities where you would actually work. Note whether employers accept candidates working toward licensure, provide qualified supervision, and require evening hours or travel. Those conditions can matter more to a new graduate than a statewide or national growth rate. Treat postings as a snapshot, then ask placement coordinators which local employers regularly supervise graduates.

Investing in graduate education is a consequential decision. Research.com evaluates counseling programs using graduate outcomes, licensure exam pass rates where applicable, accreditation, and cost. For its Best ranking, an outcomes-and-accreditation score gives the greatest weight to completion, followed by employment or doctoral admission, applicable exam results, and accreditation and federal-aid indicators; cost contributes a smaller share. Other rankings order programs by the dimension named in the ranking. The same approach applies to online and campus programs.

To support the quality, credibility, and accuracy of its rankings, the Research.com team draws on the following data sources:

• IPEDS database - institutional reporting on enrollment, completions, and prices.
• Peterson's database - program and institution information used in comparisons.
• College Scorecard database - federal information on institutions and student outcomes.
• National Center for Education Statistics - federal education data and definitions.

The ranking can help narrow a search, but it cannot establish that a program meets every applicant's budget or licensure needs. Review the measures behind a result and verify current details with each school. Research.com explains its approach further on its methodology page.

• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nebraska
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Kansas
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Utah
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Arizona
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Texas
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in South Dakota
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Nevada
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Missouri
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Montana
• 2027 Most Popular Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Programs Ranking in Idaho

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Counselors
  Used to verify salary, employment outlook, and typical education requirements.
  https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/
• CACREP - Directory of Accredited Programs
  Used to verify CACREP accreditation status of specific programs.
  https://www.cacrep.org/directory/
• Counseling Compact - Participating States
  Verified professional/licensure/career reference.
  https://counselingcompact.org/
• Adams State University - M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.adams.edu/academics/graduate/counselor-education/masters/clinical-mental-health/
• Colorado Christian University - M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.ccu.edu/ccu/counseling/mental-health-counseling/
• Regis University - Master of Arts in Counseling
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://catalog.regis.edu/rueckert-hartman-college-health-professions/school-of-mental-and-behavioral-health/master-arts-counseling-mac/
• University of Northern Colorado - Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA
  Official program page (curriculum, tuition, admissions).
  https://www.unco.edu/programs/clinical-mental-health-counseling-master-arts/